Any Other Name
by dancelvr234
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki is starting college at Karakura University. She already has had to deal with roommates, parties, and hard classes. On top of all of that, there's an annoying and arrogant orange-haired man who lives down the hall. AU. Ichiruki.
1. First Day

**A/N New story everyone! In fact, this is my first Bleach/IchiRuki story ever. So I hope you enjoy and always remember the cardinal rule, REVIEWS ARE AN AUTHORS BEST FRIEND!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. That's the property of the incredibly talented Tite Kubo. **

Rukia Kuchiki looked ominously up at the large dorm and gulped audibly. _You can do this Rukia. It's only college. How hard could that be? _Yeah, right. This was the scariest thing that she had ever done. All of the Kuchiki family dinners filled with judgemental relatives and proper manners were child's play compared to the start of her freshmen year at Karakura University.

Why had she done this?

Oh, yeah. To fit her adopted brother's ridiculous expectations on her life. Of course, this small and local university was not up to par with the type of higher education Byakuya Kuchiki was expecting. He planned on her going overseas to America and attending the Ivy League schools that were fitting for a Kuchiki. Unfortunately that was a little much for Rukia to handle, intelligence wise.

It wasn't that she was dumb. In fact, she was very much the opposite. Even at her prestigious private school that she had attended since kindergarden, she always made straight A's and was even an officer in the honors society during high school. But traveling thousands of miles to a foreign country and attending a university where only straight A's during high school put you at the bottom of the intelligence food chain? That didn't sound very appealing. In fact, it was so unappealing that Rukia flat out refused her brother's persistent efforts to get her to apply. Which, considering Byakuya's view on dignity and honor, was saying something.

So she suggested Karakura University. It was only an hour away from the Kuchiki manor and offered the right classes for Rukia's choice of major: business. Not only that, but she earned a great scholarship (not that she needed it considering her brother's immense wealth) and she already knew a student there. What more could she want in a college?

It had been tough convincing Byakuya though. She showed him all the right pamphlets and they went to all the right tours and he still kept pushing the schools in America. It wasn't until a business partner of his mentioned his daughter was going in the fall that Byakuya began to sway. He eventually agreed, she got in, and the business associates' daughter was arranged to be Rukia's roommate.

Happily ever after, right?

Yeah, not exactly. A few weeks ago that fear began to creep inside of her as she prepared to leave for college. Would she ever get homesick living in a tiny dorm room as opposed to a giant manor? Would the classes be too much to handle? Would she ever make any friends? These questions swirled around her head even now as she stood at the entrance to the building she would be staying in with her expensive piece of luggage at her side and a book bag over her shoulder.

She shook the fears from her head despite her pounding heart and entered the dorm. It was chaotic inside as students and parents moved things in, signed papers, and said tearful goodbyes. She felt a small pang in her heart when she realized that she was completely alone. She didn't have any parents to share this momentous occasion in her life and Byakuya, her only family, was out of town on business.

_Of course. When is Byakuya ever _in _town?_

She expelled the bitterness building up inside her and stood in line to get her various orientation papers and room assignment. After what seemed like forever she finally got all she needed and began to make her way up the stairs to her new room.

As she entered the small and empty space, she heaved a large sigh. Carrying this large suitcase up four flights of stairs wasn't exactly an easy task. She took a moment to observe her dorm room. There were two small beds that lay on opposite sides of the room with a large closet on one side to accommodate both girls. Two study desks beside each bed finished out the room. The whole place was rather small and dull. Rukia was used to bedrooms with large beds, vibrant silk curtains, and exquisite artifacts and wall hangings. This was just a cramped and boring old dorm room that was supposed to house two teenage girls. _So this is what it's like being a college student. It sucks already. _

Rukia trudged her suitcase over to her bed (she picked the one on the left) and began to unpack. It wasn't until she was almost done cramming her clothes into her half of the closet that she heard a soft knock on the already open door.

"Hi," squeaked a high voice as a girl with long auburn hair and a cute face shyly walked through the door.

"Oh hello," Rukia replied as she sized up the girl, who she assumed was her roommate. She had chocolate brown eyes and a beautiful smile. Rukia also couldn't help but notice her rather ample, _ahem_, assets. Despite this, she was dressed modestly in dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved burgundy top. She looked nice enough. Extending her hand in true Kuchiki fashion Rukia introduced herself. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I take it you're my new roommate?"

The girl seemed a little surprised by Rukia's formal manner, but she smiled and shook her hand anyway. "Yes, I am. My name is Orihime Inoue. It's very nice to meet you!"

"Likewise."

Orihime rolled her numerous suitcases and bags into the room and plopped them down either on or beside the other bed.

"I hope you don't me taking this one," Rukia said, indicating her own bed. "But I was here first and you know first come, first serve and all that."

Orihime giggled happily and waved her hand. "Oh, that's alright. This bed is just fine."

Silence ensued as both girls unpacked their belongings and got their things situated in their new room. Rukia set her laptop on the desk and pulled a blanket over her bed while Orihime placed her clothes in the other half of the closet. Finally, Orihime spoke as she put her own colorful sheets and pillows on her bed. "Pardon me for asking but, did you only bring one suitcase?" she asked noticing Rukia's small amount of things.

Orihime knew from what her father told her that Rukia's family was very wealthy and it was a privilege to share a room with the heiress. Last she checked, heiresses didn't bring one suitcase with them to college. And wasn't she supposed to have a small dog?

"Oh, yeah. This suitcase is just supposed to last me a few days until the movers come."

Yeah, that sounded about right.

"Movers? Wow, are you going to be able to fit all of that stuff in here?"

"Of course not. I'll choose the things I absolutely need and have them send the rest of the stuff back home. My brother just asked them to pack and send everything. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it all."

"Wow. It seems like your brother has some different views about what college life is supposed to be like."

_Tell me about it_, Rukia thought bitterly.

"Yeah. I think he expected me to get the penthouse dorm room or something."

Orihime let loose a small laugh at that statement and smiled. She liked this girl. Though she had only known her for a few minutes Rukia had been perfectly polite and charming. Something Orihime figured had been drilled into her head since birth.

To be honest, Orihime had dreaded sharing the room with Rukia. She was basically rooming with her father's bosses' sister. If she made one bad move, Rukia could tell her brother and her father's job could be in jeopardy. It wasn't the kind of pressure a college freshman could handle and she dreaded it. She hoped that Rukia's nice personality would be her real personality and not a fake front put up to trick Orihime into anything.

However, something about Rukia reassured Orihime that she was sincere. She didn't seem like any pretentious, rich heiress. She didn't even look like one. Her clothes, though most likely very expensive, were simple and she carried herself with grace and dignity, not pompousness.

Rukia observed Orihime as she fixed her bed set. This girl seemed sweet and Rukia hoped that she really was sweet and wasn't just pretending. Although her high pitched voice and giggle could get annoying, Rukia figured she would be able to live with this girl just fine. Who knows? She might even become her first friend here.

"So, tell me about yourself Orihime," Rukia said conversationally once they had both lapsed into silence again. They were finished unpacking and had been awkwardly sitting on their respective beds avoiding eye contact.

Orihime was glad that the awkward silence had been broken and she replied enthusiastically. "Oh, well, my family lives right here in Karakura. I actually didn't have to get a dorm room since I live so close but I really wanted the whole college experience, you know?"

Rukia did know. That was one of the reasons why she had chosen Karakura University in the first place.

"I have an older brother, Sora, but he's not really around much. He lives in Tokyo with his family so I don't get to see him very often. My mom died when I was a kid so it's just been me and my dad for awhile. I was considering going to a college farther away but I knew that if I did my dad would be really lonely."

Rukia nodded her head, though she couldn't really relate to those emotions. She didn't care if Byakuya was lonely in the manner all by himself. She was glad to be away from him for awhile. _Wow, I never knew how resentful I was until recently. College sure does change you, doesn't it?_

"So here I am. Let's see, what else can I say? Oh! I love to cook. Most people tell me that my cooking is different than what people are used to. I guess that's a compliment. I just like to mix different foods and see what they taste like together. Maybe you can try my cooking sometime soon!"

Even though Rukia was a little worried about why Orihime's cooking was so "different" than the norm, she enthusiastically nodded her head.

"So enough about me. Tell me something about you!"

"Oh, uh. Well, I used to live with my brother Byakuya before I came here. But I guess you already knew that. Well, Byakuya's only my adopted brother and my brother-in-law too. He married my sister Hisana about 15 years ago. A few years into their marriage she got really sick and died. Then Byakuya adopted me as his sister and I've been an official Kuchiki ever since," Rukia said passing through the story of her sister quickly. It wasn't a topic she liked to dwell on.

"What about your parents?" Orihime asked cautiously, afraid she was prodding a little too much.

Rukia paused before continuing. "I never knew them. They died shortly after my birth in a car accident. Hisana was old enough to take care of me and so she did as best as a teenage girl just out of high school could. We lived pretty rough until she met Byakuya. Ever since then, I've lived like a queen."

"Do you like it? Living with your brother, I mean," Orihime interrupted.

Rukia had to think about that one. Did she like all the expensive clothes and elaborate parties? Sure, what girl wouldn't? Did she like that the only family she had was cold, emotionless, and barely looked her way when they were together? Of course not.

"It has its ups and downs," Rukia eventually replied cryptically.

Orihime nodded her head in understanding. "I guess I can see that."

"So that's the story of my family. What else do you want to know?"

"Well, tell me some of your hobbies!"

"Hobbies? Well, I enjoy reading a lot. Byakuya was always so strict about how I spent my free time. He didn't allow many of the things my friends from school did all the time like going to the mall and having sleepovers. I didn't really mind though. He was glad that I liked to read so much so he bought me tons of books. I have a huge bookshelf in my room back home that takes up an entire wall. I've read everything from classic poets like Edgar Allen Poe to novelists like Charles Dickens. I really love them all!"

"Well then you'll probably enjoy your classes here. I've heard that the majority of the work you do is reading books, and writing papers of course," Orihime said, her enthusiasm dropping down a notch. She wasn't too excited about that part of the college experience.

"Yeah, I've heard that too. I just hope the books I read here are just as interesting as the ones I have back home."

"Do you like to do anything besides reading?"

"Well, sort of. In fact, it's kind of embarrassing," Rukia said, her cheeks starting to go red.

"Oh you can tell me. We all have our guilty pleasures that we indulge in!"

"Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh." Orihime nodded her head and leaned in closer, ready to hear Rukia's secret. "I have a rather large infactuation with…Chappy the Rabbit."

Orihime's eyes widened and she had to put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle. It wasn't that it was an embarrassing thing to like, it was just that Orihime never figured the great Rukia Kuchiki would be obsessed with something so childish as a pink bunny.

"I know it's stupid. It's just that, Chappy is so cute and cuddly with his long ears and cute little eyes," Rukia said her voice growing much higher to where it sounded as if she was talking to a small child.

Orihime couldn't help the giggle that passed through her lips. Yep, she would definitely like this girl.

"Don't worry. When the movers come, you'll get to see the full extent of my Chappy collection."

"I can't wait," Orihime said with a hint of a laugh in her voice.

The girls chatted for awhile before another knock sounded on their door and a handsome young man with rather large muscles and a perfect smile stepped through. Orihime almost passed out.

"Hey ladies," he said in a low and husky voice. Even Rukia's breathing started to escalate and she wasn't one to indulge in the pleasures of the opposite sex.

"H-Hello," Orihime stuttered.

"There's a welcome party happening on the third floor. I'd really like it if you two would come," he said leaning his perfect body against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest in the typical alpha male stance.

Orihime immediately nodded her head and got off her bed. "We'd love to. Come on Rukia," she said as she began to exit with the hot guy.

Rukia hesitated. She had heard many stories of these college parties and she knew that if she went, she might have to face some consequences. And she knew that while she was here Byakuya expected only the best out of her. One drunken party would completely taint her Kuchiki name.

"Oh, that's okay Orihime. I think I'll just stay here and write some emails. Byakuya will be expecting a full report soon."

"Are you sure? It'll be real fun!" Orihime whined.

"You're friend's right," the greek god said, stepping into the conversation. "They'll be a lot of people there, great music, and of course plenty of alcohol."

_That's what I'm worried about_.

"No, that's really okay," Rukia said, trying her best to fight the dreaded peer pressure.

Despite her objections, Rukia could tell that this guy didn't like to take no for an answer. He looked around the room and spotted her book bag hanging off the end of her bed. He quickly swiped it up and held it to his chest.

"Hey!" Rukia said indignantly as she tried to get her book bag out of the grasps of the young man.

"If you ever want to see this bag again, you'll have to come to the party with me and your friend," he said with a fake serious expression on his face.

"That's totally unfair! Give it back," Rukia said, again reaching for her bag. The man pulled away again and that gorgeous smile spread across his face again.

"You'll have to catch me if you want to get it back!" he said before rushing out the door followed quickly by Orihime. Rukia shook her head and laughed as she fully participated in this guy's little game to get her to come to the party.

She rushed out of her room not even bothering to close the door as she chased Orihime and the man. She was running so fast that she didn't even bother dodging another man who was in the hallway carrying a box into his dorm room. Rukia bumped her shoulder into the man and said a quick apology before rushing off again.

His honey-amber eyes narrowed and he scowled after the small girl with raven black hair who dared bump into him and not even stop to help him with the box he had dropped. He sighed angrily, picked his box back up, and walked into his new room.

**A/N Hmm, who could that mysterious stranger at the end be? I hope you enjoy! I'm trying to stay a few chapters ahead of the one I'm uploading that way I don't fall behind but I do tend to update faster if I have some motivation, aka, REVIEWS! So tell me what you think!**


	2. Best Friends and Wild Parties

**A/N Hey guys! Thank you SO much for all the reviews and alerts! It's always nice to know that someone is reading this :) I hope you enjoy!**

The young man who Rukia chased to the party was right when he talked about the amount of alcohol that would be there. She wondered how in the world all of this booze was even smuggled in to the dorm.

She finally got her book bag back from the young man once she had been thoroughly immersed in the party that took up practically the entire third floor of the building. College students were everywhere and most of them were already fairly drunk. It made Rukia pretty nervous. However, after saying hello to a few guys and finding a group she could talk with, it became much easier to enjoy herself.

She refrained from drinking any alcohol though. Byakuya's warnings rang very clear in her mind as she refused beer after beer. "_If you ever get tempted into drinking just remember that if I am called to a police station because of your reckless behavior while drunk, I will not hesitate to disown you." _

Rukia figured she had a fairly good excuse not to drink.

Orihime, on the other hand, turned out to be the life of the party. The first thing she did when she got to the third floor was find a beer and swig the whole thing down in one gulp. Rukia had never seen such a thing in her entire life. _I'll probably be seeing that a lot more often now that I'm in college. _

A lot more often indeed.

As it got later almost everyone, except Rukia, was buzzed, if not completely wasted. Intelligent conversation had pretty much gone out the window and Rukia suspected it was time to leave. She had met a lot of new people though and she realized that her fear of making friends was nothing to be worried about.

She looked around to find Orihime figuring that if her suspicions were correct, Orihime would be very drunk and would need to be taken back to their room.

As she looked around for her roommate, a flash of red caught her eye. She smiled in delight when she identified the red as red hair. More specifically, the red hair of her best friend.

"Renji!" she called to him, trying her hardest to cut through the masses of people in her way.

Renji Abarai was currently trudging himself and his suitcases through the crowd trying, and failing, to find his room. He immediately looked up when he heard his name being called and smiled when he saw Rukia coming his way.

"Hey!" she shouted over the loud music as she finally got close to him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were getting an apartment this year."

"What did you say?" Renji shouted. This loud music was not good for normal conversation.

"I said-," Rukia started but was cut off by Renji's hand. He motioned for them to find his room so they would have some privacy and she nodded in understanding.

They found his new room easily (considering it was the only door that wasn't opened) and quickly stepped inside. Once Renji shut the door, Rukia sighed in relief at the newfound quiet.

"Much better," Renji sighed as he stepped over to give his best friend a giant hug. She reciprocated and smiled at the warm feeling his hugs always gave her.

Renji was a tall, well-built young man who was starting his junior year of college. Part of Rukia's decision to come to Karakura University had been controlled by Renji's presence as a student. She knew it would be a lot easier if she had her best friend with her to help.

Rukia noticed that Renji's wild red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he had added new tattoos to the top of his head that matched the ones he already had on his chest and arms. She had been with him when he had gotten those and still teased him to this day about his rather negative reaction to the needle.

She let go of her best friend and gave him a large smile. "Wow, it's so good to finally see you again. What I was trying to ask you in the hall was why you were here in the dorm. I thought you told me you were getting an apartment this year," she said as she sat back on the unoccupied bed while Renji placed his stuff on the other one. His roommate was either at the party or hadn't even arrived yet.

"Well I was going to. It turns out that even crappy apartments cost more than I can afford and I didn't have a roommate who could split the rent with me. So here I am back in this stinking dorm. I can't believe I got stuck on the third floor. It's known for being the party area of the school."

"So I'm beginning to see," Rukia stated with a chuckle.

"But it's okay because I managed to snag a much better job this year and hopefully I will have the money for an apartment by the end of the semester."

"Well you know if you need some help with money I'm always here for you."

"Oh please Rukia, you always say that. And I always say the same thing in response."

"I'm not a charity case. I know, I know. I just figured I'd offer."

"So how about you," he said, flopping onto his bed not even bothering to start unpacking. "How's your first day of college going?"

"Pretty normal I guess. I unpacked, I met my new roommate, and I attended a wild party."

"Yeah that is pretty normal for someone like me or another normal college student. But not for a Kuchiki."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rukia said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It just means that I definitely was not expecting to find you at a wild college party. I'm just glad I didn't catch you with a beer in your hand."

"Yeah, well if that had happened, Byakuya would've had me hung by my toes. And I didn't really want to go in the first place. Some guy asked me and my roommate to come and when I turned him down, he stole my bag and had me chase him to the party to get it back."

Renji sat up straight at this and Rukia lifted an eyebrow. _Here we go_.

"Some guy _stole _your bag just to get you to come to a stupid party? Tell me who he is. I'll beat the crap out of him," he said getting an evil glint in his eye. That was the thing about Renji that had always bugged Rukia. He was way too overprotective of her.

"Calm down Renji. He gave it back. And I met some new people while I was down here."

"Well if he gave it back to you, where is it?"

That was the first time Rukia noticed that it was missing. She must've put it down somewhere and forgot about it. Considering how many dorm rooms she had been in, there was no telling where it would be.

"Oh crap. I have no idea where I left it. How am I supposed to find it? What if someone stole it? Renji, that bag has my cell phone and wallet in it. I need to get it back!" Rukia said frantically as she quickly walked over to Renji's bed and grabbed his arms in a panic.

"Whoa, Rukia. Now it's time for you to calm down. I'm sure we'll find it. A lot of people have probably already left or passed out so it'll be easy."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll help you."

As they weaved their way through the various rooms, Rukia noticed that Renji had been right. The number of people at the party had certainly dwindled. Finally, they found her bag in the fifth room that they looked in. Conveniently enough, they also found Orihime passed out on some random person's bed.

"So that's you're roommate, huh?" Renji said as Rukia pointed Orihime out to him.

"Yep."

"She seems pleasant," Renji observed as Orihime let loose a rather loud snore.

_ Oh great,_ Rukia thought, _my roommate snores. _

"I need you're help getting her back up to our room. It's probably not a good idea to just leave her here and let her fend for herself in the morning," Rukia said as she reached over and hooked her arms underneath Orihime's and lifted. She motioned for Renji to grab the girls' feet.

"Yeah, probably not. This is her first college party after all," he replied as they lifted Orihime off of the bed and began walking through the hallway to the stairs.

After much difficulty and one _accidental _drop they finally managed to get the passed out girl back safe and sound in her bed.

"Wow, that was a lot harder than I thought it would be," Renji said as Rukia took off Orihime's shoes and pulled a blanket over her sleeping body.

"No kidding."

Renji and Rukia awkwardly stood in the center of the dorm room for a few minutes before Renji noticed Rukia's lack of belongings. "Hey, where's all your stuff?"

"Oh Byakuya insisted that he hire movers to transport all my things. This stuff is just supposed to last me until they come in a few days."

"You do realize that you're not going to be able to fit all of that in here, right?"

"Come on, Renji. Do I look that stupid to you? Of course I know that. Byakuya insisted, remember? You of all people should know that when Byakuya insists, you don't tell him no."

"Oh, believe me, I know that."

Renji's parents had died when he was a young kid and he was hired to work at the Kuchiki manor as a servant when he was only 8. That's where Rukia and Renji had met and become friends. And that was why Renji knew all about Byakuya and his habit to insist.

Rukia sat down on her bed and the two of them lapsed into silence again. Finally Renji cleared his throat and quickly excused himself, saying he had to get some sleep because he had a meeting with the campus counselor early in the morning.

After Renji left, Rukia changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed. As she reached over to turn the light off, she noticed a note lying on her desk. _That's weird_.

She picked up the piece of paper and noticed that someone had scrawled a note to her in rather bad handwriting. _FYI, anytime you rush off without closing your door, you're prone to robbery. This is a dorm, not a jail. Things aren't as secure as your high tech manor back home. Signed, the man you bumped into earlier. P.S. when you bumped into me, I dropped a box that contained a special picture frame of mine that is now shattered. I'd like a replacement ASAP. _

Rukia read over the note a few times. Each time she did, she got angrier and angrier. How dare this man blame _her _for shattering his precious picture frame when she bumped into him by _accident_. And how dare he come into her room while she was away. Sure she had been careless and left the door open but that did not objectify him coming into her room and leaving a note behind to tell her about it. She looked around quickly wondering if anyone had stolen anything. As far she could tell all of her things were still here. Besides, all of her valuables had been in her book bag and that was with her the whole time.

Rukia read over the note one more time. Wait a second. How did he know that she was rich and lived in a secure manor? _Does everyone in this school know who I am or am I just being stalked by some strange guy with a grudge? _

And what a stupid grudge it was. If someone had accidentally bumped into her and _apologized_ she would have let it go even if she dropped a box with a picture frame in it. What was the big deal? This guy, whoever he was, had way too much bitterness inside of him and he was obviously taking it out on her.

She tried to picture what the man looked like but she couldn't remember. She hadn't really been looking where she was going and she didn't look back at him after she rushed off. He probably lived somewhere on her floor and she just had to figure out where and who he was. She would not give in so easily.

As she planned what she was going to say to him once she figured out who he was, a thought occurred to her. _Boy, this sure has been a strange first day. Is every day of college going to be like this? _Rukia only wondered what would happen once classes started.

**A/N And the mystery man mystery continues...I hope you liked it! Remember to review and tell me what you thought!**


	3. Solved Mysteries

**A/N I'm really pleased at the response I've been getting for this story! All the alerts and favs mean a lot to me. It would still be great if I could get some more reviews though so I can know for sure how you felt about it. And of course if you need to provide constructive criticism :) Well anyway, here's the next update. Hope you enjoy! **

Orihime awoke the next day to one of the worst feelings she had ever experienced. Her limbs ached, her head was pounding, and she could barely open her eyes. She let loose a loud groan and attempted to sit up in her bed.

"Good morning. I see you're as hung over as I expected you would be," Rukia spoke from her desk where she was sipping a cup of coffee and reading a book.

"Don't yell, please. My ears can't take the abuse," Orihime whispered.

Rukia gave her a strange look before replying. "I didn't yell. I'm talking quieter than I usually do actually."

"Shhh. Talk quieter," Orihime said in a tiny whisper. Rukia just rolled her eyes and went back to reading her book.

After a few minutes of moaning and groaning, Orihime finally managed to open her eyes all the way as she took a good look around the room. That's when she noticed something.

"Whoa, where did all of this come from?" she asked noticing a rather large increase in the amount of Rukia's stuff. There was an extra chair, a mini fridge, a coffeemaker, an actual bedspread and pillows for her bed, a lamp, a poster hanging on the wall, and curtains hung on the window. All of which Orihime swore was not there the day before.

"It turns out my brother's movers came earlier than I expected. I'm surprised you didn't hear them. They dropped all of the stuff I wanted off and left about an hour ago."

"What time is it?" Orihime asked, also surprised she didn't hear a bunch of movers coming in with crap loads of stuff while she was asleep.

"Almost 11:30," Rukia replied, nonchalantly sipping her coffee.

It was silent for a few moments while Orihime took that information in until Rukia walked over to her fridge and pulled out a glass full of what Orihime thought looked like human crap in a liquid form.

"Here, drink this. It'll help you feel better," Rukia said as she handed the cup over to her roommate. Orihime just stared at it as if it was radioactive waste.

"You expect me to drink that?"

"Of course. It's a hangover remedy. I was worried about how you might feel today so I asked my friend if he knew of anything that would cure a hangover. This little recipe was what he gave me."

Orihime grimaced but accepted the cup anyway. She did feel awful and she would do anything to have some sort of relief; even drink cupfuls of whatever the heck that stuff was.

She quickly sniffed the concoction and found out it smelled as bad as it looked. Even so, Orihime gulped, plugged her nose, and took a sip.

She felt like she was about to vomit.

"Oh, this stuff is awful!" she exclaimed.

"I expected it would be. You really don't want to know what I had to use to make it," Rukia said, glad it was Orihime suffering instead of her.

"You're right, I really don't. Ugh, this sucks. I am never getting drunk again! I had no idea how bad hangovers were," she said as she began to rub her temples in hopes of alleviating the pain.

"Wait a minute. You've never had a hangover? With the way you were expertly drinking last night I just figured this was a regular thing for you."

"Do I look like a raging alcoholic to you? Last night was the first time I had ever drunk alcohol," Orihime stated as if it was obvious.

Was this girl serious?

"Well no wonder you passed out so easily and your hangover is killer. Orihime, you do realize that the first time you drink you have to take it slow. You could've really endangered yourself. It's a good thing I was there."

"Well I just trying another part of the college experience. One of the things you do here is go to parties and get drunk."

_She really doesn't get it, does she?_

"Orihime, not everyone at college gets drunk all the time. Take me, for example. I didn't have a single thing to drink at that party. And I wouldn't have even gone had it not been for that bag-stealing guy."

"But I thought that it was normal?" she questioned, naïve as ever.

"A lot of people do it, yes, but a lot of people also don't do it. And I've been meaning to ask you, what is it with you and this whole 'college experience' thing? You've mentioned that a lot."

"Oh, well I've heard stories of college and what it's like all my life and I've always dreamed about the day when it would be my turn to go. My brother used to tell me countless things about dorms, and classes, and parties that excited me so much. I just wanted to be a part of everything. I guess that's why I got so crazy last night. Believe me Rukia, I will never do that again!"

"Good, because it was not easy hauling you up here last night after you passed out."

"You carried me upstairs all by yourself?"

"Of course not. My friend helped me out. He lives on the third floor."

"Wait a second. You have a friend, who's a guy, who goes to school here?" Orihime asked with wide eyes and a creepy smile.

"Yeah. His name is Renji," Rukia responded not sure why Orihime perked up all of a sudden.

"And why haven't I heard about him?"

"Because I met you yesterday."

"Well is he hot? Can I meet him?" Orihime said sitting up expectantly. _Okay, this is getting weird. _

"Why would you want to meet him? Is meeting boys another part of your 'college experience' or something?" Rukia said putting air quotes around the words 'college experience'.

"You don't have to be so sarcastic about it. I was just curious. So what's the deal with you and this 'friend'?" Orihime said, using her own set of air quotes.

"Oh, don't ask it like that. Renji and I are just friends. End of story."

"So he's available?"

"Orihime, stop that!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." She didn't sound very convincing to Rukia.

Before Rukia could retort, a knock sounded on the door and Renji's voice could be heard from the other side. "Hey Rukia, it's me. Do you mind if I come in for a minute?"

"Sure, let me get the door," Rukia answered quickly purposefully ignoring Orihime's knowing and excited look. "Hey, come on in."

Renji gave a quick smile to Rukia first before glancing over at Orihime. "Hello, we haven't properly met yet. I'm Renji Abarai."

"Orihime Inoue. It is _very_ nice to meet you. Rukia's told me so much about you."

"Really?" Renji asked disbelievingly as he turned to give a skeptic look to Rukia.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I have not told her a ton of stuff about you. I just said that you were my friend, you lived on the third floor, and that you helped me carry her up to our room after she passed out at the party."

"See? So much," Orihime quipped from her bed. "And I assume you are also the person who introduced Rukia to this horrible concoction I had to drink," she said pointing out her hangover remedy sitting on her desk.

"Yeah, that was me. So what do think? Did it help at all?"

"It tasted absolutely awful."

"Well yeah it tastes like cow dung but did it make you feel any better?"

"Yeah, actually, it did. I guess a thank you is in order."

"You're welcome," Renji beamed, glad he could help another damsel in distress.

"How do you know what cow dung tastes like?" Rukia asked skeptically.

Renji rolled his eyes. "It's just a freaking expression."

"Yeah, a gross one."

It was silent for a few moments before Renji noticed something lying on Rukia's desk. "Hey, what's this?" he said picking up the note that had been left the night before.

"Oh, yeah. That. Well it's quite the story so you better listen up too, Orihime."

"Way ahead of you," she said anxiously awaiting to hear Rukia's gossip.

Rukia explained the story of the mystery grudge man who insisted she buy him another picture frame and who came into her dorm room while she was away. As she finished she expected Orihime and Renji to be just as appalled as she was, but they both gave her a look she wasn't expecting.

"I don't understand why you're upset. The picture frame thing might be a little over the top but in retrospect he did the right thing coming in here. Now you'll know never to leave your door open while you're not there. He was just being a kind neighbor and pointing out your mistake so you never do it again," Renji said calmly.

_Excuse me? _Rukia thought.

"A kind neighbor? If he's such a kind neighbor why does he sound so rude in this note of his? And how does he know that I'm rich? And why does he expect me to buy him a stupid picture frame," Rukia yelled causing both Renji and Orihime to shy away a little.

"He was probably just having a bad day," Orihime supplied. Renji caught on and quickly added to her statement.

"Yeah. It was move in day. Everyone is in a bad mood during move in day."

"I don't care what stupid day it was. That does not give him a right to be such a jerk to me," Rukia said exasperatedly throwing the note to the ground. It, being paper, didn't go very far.

"Well who is he?" Orihime asked.

This slowed Rukia down a bit.

"I don't know," she replied, guiltily looking down.

"Well then what did he look like?" Renji asked.

"I don't know."

"How could you not know? You came into physical contact with this man and you have no idea what he looked like?"

"Well I was not really paying attention to what was around me. I was just chasing bag stealing guy and Orihime. That's why I bumped into him in the first place."

"You didn't even stop and help him with the box he dropped? Well no wonder he's upset. Rukia, that's kind of rude," Orihime said quietly, fearing the wrath of her roommate.

"I said I was sorry and moved on. And I'm not supposed to help guys with boxes that they drop. It's supposed to be the other way around."

"Okay, now that's a double standard," Renji said accusingly.

"Why are you guys defending him? You're supposed to be on my side!"

"We're sorry, Rukia. We didn't mean to hurt you. We were just trying to help," Orihime said sweetly.

"Well you're not doing a very good job."

Renji and Orihime let out a collective sigh as Rukia visible calmed down. They would have to be patient with her. Renji knew for sure that testing Rukia when she was upset was not the smartest idea.

"Okay, let's just try and figure out who this guy is. He obviously lives somewhere on this floor," Renji supplied.

"Well duh. He was bringing a box into his room."

"Where?"

"I don't know. A few doors down I guess. Across the hall."

"Well that's a start," Orihime said positively.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything about him other than that. Did he have any distinctive features that you saw?" Renji asked, changing into his weird detective mode.

Rukia tried to think back but she honestly couldn't picture him in her mind. Maybe there was something she had overlooked before. She concentrated on the moment their paths crossed until she remembered something very distinctive.

Orange.

"Yeah, I do remember something! He had orange hair," Rukia said, excited she was getting somewhere.

Orihime's eyes widened in surprise while Renji looked perplexed.

"Orange hair? Are you sure you pictured that right?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes, I'm sure. I disregarded it at first but now it's becoming clearer in my mind."

"Hmm, I don't think I've ever seen anyone with-"

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Orihime interrupted. Both Renji and Rukia turned to her with wide eyes.

"Huh?" Rukia asked.

"His name is Ichigo Kurosaki."

"You know him?" Rukia asked in disbelief.

"Yes. We went to high school together. He's a year ahead of me so this is his second year at KU. I had no idea he was on the same floor as me," Orihime stated. She looked like she was in some sort of trance.

"Wait a second. Are you sure it's the same guy?" Renji asked.

"How many people in Japan do you think have bright orange hair?"

"She's got a point," Rukia said. "But we still can't know for sure. Let's just assume for now that this Ichigo person is my grudge guy."

"To be honest, it would make a lot of sense if Ichigo really was the guy you're talking about. I wouldn't put it past him," Orihime said.

"Why? What's he like?"

"He's just real grumpy all the time. I have no idea why. One of my best friends back at our high school was good friends with him when they were kids. Apparently he's been like that for awhile. She wouldn't tell me why, though. It's always been a mystery to me."

"Grumpy all the time, huh? Yep, sounds like my guy," Rukia said while shaking her head.

"Do you want to find out which room he's in? I'll go with you to confront him," Renji offered.

"No, that's okay. I'll probably run into him again sometime soon. After all, we live on the same floor and everything. But when I do see him, believe me, he will be getting an earful."

_Ichigo Kurosaki, you've messed with the wrong girl._

**A/N So I planned on having my first IchiRuki interaction in this chapter but the scene I was writing was too long so I had to leave it out of this chapter. But don't worry, I guarantee IchiRuki interaction in the next chapter! Hoped you guys enjoyed! and remember, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


End file.
